PSV-2 Impact of Diseases in Pig Production on Carcass and Meat Quality

Abstract

Abstract Several diseases, including Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS), are present in pig herds. The effects of diseases on growth performance are generally well known, but there is a lack of information on the consequences on carcass and meat quality. The aim of this project was to assess the impact of diseases present in the nursery and finishing on performances, carcass yields and meat quality. The trial was carried out at the Deschambault Swine Evaluation Station, where a project aimed at evaluating disease resilience is being carried out. A total of 480 castrated piglets from 8 different batches entered the nursery barn every 3 weeks. Pigs were observed daily, and a careful examination of the clinical signs was carried out weekly on each animal, to separate pigs showing signs of disease from those in good health. Ultrasound measurements of back fat thickness, muscle depth and intramuscular fat (IMF) level were performed three different times during growth. When the pigs reached a body weight of approximately 120 kg, carcass quality and meat yield measurements were taken 18 to 24 hours after slaughter. The ultimate pH, color, water loss and marbling were measured on the loin. The presence of PRRS and other diseases had a significant impact on the growth performance of pigs in fattening and demonstrates that the presence of the virus in the herd significantly decreases the average daily gain (ADG). This difference has a direct impact on the number of days in fattening. Results for back fat thickness at the end of fattening show significant differences (P < 0.05) between uninfected pigs (14.7 mm), pigs infected in nursery (13.9 mm) and fattening (12.8 mm) only, and pigs that have been ill both in nursery and fattening (12.4 mm). These results indicate that the presence of diseases leads to a decrease in fat deposition in pigs at the end of fattening. However, results for IMF measured at the end of fattening demonstrate that the presence of diseases had no significant impact on the final IMF level (P > 0.10), varying between 2.05% for healthy pigs and 2.13% for animals that have been sick in nursery and fattening. The results obtained in the slaughterhouse have shown that the presence of diseases does not seem to have an impact on the various measures of meat quality (P > 0.05). Only drip loss shows a significant difference (P < 0.05) between healthy and sick animals. However, the low number of sick pigs in the batches evaluated could have limited the observed effects. The work carried out by the CDPQ has made it possible to quantify the impact of diseases by providing a better understanding of their impact on product quality.